Begonia plant named Scentiment Blush

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Begonia plant named Scentiment Blush, characterized by its distinct fragrance, fully double male flowers which do not produce pollen or male productive parts, pale blush pink main flower color with yellowing at center and deeper pink on reverse side, plant habit which is full and pendulous with numerous shoots each of which produces 4 to 5 penduncles with 1 to 2 male flowers.

The present invention relates to a new and distinctive cultivar ofbegonia plant, botanically known as begonia Tuberhybrida pendula andknown by the cultivar name Scentiment Blush.

The new cultivar was discovered by the inventor Andrew B. Snow as aseedling from a controlled crossing of B. Love Song as the seed parentwith B. Sweety II as the pollen parent.

Asexual reproduction by leaf cuttings has produced the unique featuresof the new cultivar through successive propagations at my enterprise inWatsonville, Calif.

The following characteristics distinguish the new begonia from both itsparents and other begonias commercially known and used in thefloriculture industry:

1. The flower has a definite and distinct fragrance that can bedescribed as quite sweet and lingering but not overpowering. It is oftencompared to the scent of a fragrant rose bloom. The fragrance is mostpronounced when the temperature is between 70° and 80° F.

2. The male flowers are fully double and do not produce pollen or malereproductive parts under normal growing conditions.

3. The main flower color is a pale blush pink, with the back of the mainpetals a deeper pink. The petal color changes to yellow at the center ofthe flower with some flowers showing some yellow streaking.

4. The plant habit is full and pendulous with numerous flower shoots(4-6 or more). Each flowering shoot will produce anywhere from 4-6penduncles with 1 or 2 male flowers on each during the growing season.

There are no known begonia cultivars with which the new cultivar can bemeaningfully compared. The color variance and gradation is unique, as isthe distinct fragrance.

The accompanying colored photographs taken Sept. 20, 1991 illustrate theoverall appearance and flower color and shape of the new cultivar whengrown in a 10" plastic pot. The top photograph is a side elevationalview of the new cultivar. The bottom photograph shows the top surface oftwo flowers and the underside of one flower. The colors are as true asit is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of thistype.

The following is a detailed description of my new begonia cultivar basedon plants produced under commercial practices in Watsonville, Calif.Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance areused.

Parentage: Begonia cultivar "Love Song" (seed parent)×Begonia cultivar"Sweety III" (pollen parent).

Propagation:

A. Type cutting.--Leaf.

B. Time to root.--24 to 30 days at 21° C. summer; 32 to 38 days at 21°C. winter.

C. Rooting habit.--Abundant, fibrous, dendritic.

D. Time for shoot development.--Slow, 10 to 14 weeks in summer and up to16 weeks in winter.

Plant description:

A. Form.--Low mounding, pendulous; herbaceous.

B. Habit of growth.--Slow, uniform growth with numerous shoots andmoderate branching habit at full growth. The plant is well rounded witha height of about 10 to 15 inches, and up to 20" pendulous shoots. Thewidth is approximately 24 inches.

C. Foliage.--Simple, alternate, and borne on semi-rigid petioles 3 to 6inches in length. 1. Size: At maturity the leaves reach 6 to 8 inchesfrom base to apex, and at their widest point the leaves are up to 6inches in width. 2. Shape: Triangular-cordate with acuminate tip betweenrounded based lobes. 3. Texture: Firm, crisp, but not brittle; sparselyhirtellous on both surfaces. 4. Margin: Doubly serrate. 5. Color: Youngfoliage, top side:slightly darker than 143A; under side:147C. Maturefoliage, top side:146A and B; under side:147C. 6. Venation: Reticulate.

Flowering description:

A. Flowering habits.--Flowering is presented on a pendulous raceme.Often, but not always, secondary male and female flowers will developbelow the primary male and female flowers. Some peduncles have asolitary male flower, while others may have a solitary male floweraccompanied by either a solitary secondary male flower or matchingfemale flower and occasionally a secondary male and female flower.

B. Natural flowering season.--Natural flowering season is the summer andfall months.

C. Flower buds.--Flat, nearly round, tending towards bell shaped.

D. Flowers borne.--On small pedicels originating from long (5 to 8inches) axillary peduncles, resulting in a solitary male flower, asolitary male and one or two female flowers, and occasionally secondarymale and female flowers as raceme develops.

E. Quantity.--Flowering ranges from 2 to 5 flowers per peduncle andnumerous (3 to 5) peduncles per shoot, with 5 to 7 shoots per plant.

F. Tepals.--1. Shape: Oval to tear drop shaped. 2. Color: Top side inwinter when opening, white, fading to 36D; underside 49C fading to 36Dto white. 3. Number of tepals: 35 to 50 on male flowers, 5 on femaleflowers. 4. Size of tepals: Outer (male), up to 2 3/4"×21/2", inner3/8"×3/8". 5. Flower size: Male, 5"×5"; female, 31/2"×31/2".

G. Reproductive organs.--1. Stamens: None. 2. Pistils: a. Stigma shape:Multi-lobed, color 15A. b. Style color: 15A. c. Ovaries: Number 3, size3/8" to 5/8", color 144C.

Disease resistance: Scentiment Blush has shown excellent diseaseresistance to date.

I Claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of begonia plant named Scentiment Blush, as illustrated and described. 